Rockets in the Sky: Fourth of July Strawberry Pie

My friend Leif threw a ridiculously fun pool party for the Fourth and I wanted to bring a dish that was simultaneously summery and good at soaking up massive amounts of alcohol. So I flipped through my recipe book and came across my own recipe for Strawberry Pie which I had last made six summers ago. I remember that time so well because I had made the pie for my two friends who proceeded to scarf the whole pie down and then accuse me of buying it from a bakery and pawning it off as my own. This little tiff escalated into a full blown argument that is now studied in civics classes as the Strawberry Pie Scandal of 2002. Needless to say, I wasn't in a hurry to make my ole pie again.

But it has been six years, so I thought maybe enough time had passed for those old strawberry glazed wounds to heal. I whipped up the pie and then proceeded to forget to put it in the fridge upon arrival at the party, so it melted in the sun all day, and by the time I served it, it was more of a pudding. But when I was getting my pie tin on the way out, all the pie/pudding was gone, so someone must have liked it! Maybe this pie is cursed. I can't be sure until I revisit the recipe again in another six years. But you shouldn't wait that long! Whip it up!:

Fourth of July Strawberry Pie
For the crust:
2 cups graham crackers (12 whole graham crackers, crushed with a rolling pin)
8 tbsp. Earth Balance

For the filling:
2 lbs strawberries (rinsed, hulled, sliced)
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. corn starch
1 tbsp. water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and the Earth Balance. Press against a 9 in. pie crust. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden and crisp. Set aside to cool.

In a saucepan, mix strawberries, sugar, and vanilla. Stir over medium heat until the berries sweat out a decent amount of liquid (about five minutes). Mix the cornstarch with the water and pour mixture into strawberries. Cook and stir occasionally until the mixture thickens into a glaze (about another five minutes). Remove from heat and pour into pie crust. Cover and refrigerate for at least six hours.